Aaron Guzikowski, who wrote the Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal movie, says, “I was very surprised that we were allowed to keep that ending.” Spoilers start RIGHT AWAY. posted on October 15, 2013 at 5:15pm EDT

Did the whistle work, for God’s sake?

Prisoners, directed by Denis Villeneuve, was released nearly a month ago, and its cliffhanger ending has lingered with me. A refresher: Jake Gyllenhaal’s Detective Loki has wrapped up the kidnapping mystery, and Melissa Leo’s character, the creepy Holly Jones, is dead. Everyone thinks that Keller (Hugh Jackman) has run away in order to elude the police (since he tortured Alex, who turned out to be innocent). But in fact, he’s down a damn hole in Holly’s back yard! Where she left him to die. In the film’s final moments, Loki, about to leave the crime scene, thinks he hears something (it’s poor Hugh Jackman, down the hole, blowing his daughter’s whistle). Fade to black! No!

I talked to Prisoners screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski about the ending.

On the decision to end the movie with a cliffhanger:

“Oddly enough, that’s how it was in the script when it was bought. And it never really changed. When we were shooting, we did shoot a version where it goes a little beyond where the fade out is. There’s a version where he moves the car and sees Hugh down there, and so on. None of us really wanted to do that version, but we wanted to make sure we had it in case once the film was put together it seemed like it really needed it. But after testing the film with the ending it has now, everyone decided that was definitely the way to go. Joel Cox, the editor, felt very strongly about it. I just think that’s the moment when the movie is ready to end.”

And the ending that was shot but didn’t get used was…

“They move the car. They see he’s down there. You know he’s going to be taken out of the hole. I like it much better being ambiguous. Even though you assume that’s what’s probably going to happen, I like that there’s a small chance that he’s not going to get him out of there for whatever reason.”

But Detective Loki is so tenacious during the movie. Is there a scenario where he’d actually walk away?

“No, I think there’s a small percent chance that for some strange reason he might decide not to get the guy up. In my mind he would: Those two guys have a strange connection that they form over the course of the movie. That seems to be the logical next step for Jake’s character at that moment.”

On why the studio was (atypically) fine with an oblique ending:

“I was very surprised that we were allowed to keep that ending. I was surprised I was able to get the movie made, actually. It’s a pretty dark script. Especially ending the way it does. It’s definitely a testament to Alcon, the producers on the movie, sticking by the script and not wanting to make it into something it wasn’t.”

In a fantasy world where we saw what happened to Keller after he’s out of the hole, things would not have gone well for him:

“I think, unfortunately, he would go to prison. The final irony — his father was a prison guard, and the whole movie is metaphors of people’s internal prisons, external prisons. I believe that’s what would end up happening to him: that he would go to prison for some time.”

Melissa Leo and Paul Dano

On why casting Melissa Leo was both good news and bad news:

“Obviously, she’s a tremendous actress and I knew she would be perfect for this role. The only thing is when you’re trying to conceal the importance of the character and you then cast an award-winning actor for what seems on the outside to be a smaller role, you do run the risk of giving away that this character may be playing a larger part than may first meets the eye. But I think because Denis is kind of a genius director, it still manages to remain concealed, and you don’t think about it too much. But she is just amazing. I do think that’s the one tricky thing with a role like that: to cast someone who’s a known, big-time actor without tipping your hand. It still seemed to work. I think people were still surprised, which was a huge relief to me.”

Poor Alex (Paul Dano) has had the worst life ever. Is there hope for him?

“I would hope there’s a way back out of his internal maze, as it were. I would hope there’s a version where he can regain some semblance of his old self. He has an extreme form of PTSD mixed with all sorts of horrible things. It would be a tall order for him to recuperate from all that, but I’m an optimistic person, so I’d like to think he would manage it somehow!”

I thought the film ending made the movie even more of a conversation piece than if they had gone the way of the conventional ending. It has provoked so much discussion, not just on the ending, but on the backstories that led to it and to speculations on what comes next.

I had read the script and thought at that time that it was a great, albeit atypical, way to end the story! Maybe because when one reads a book, especially a thriller, one's imagination is really more active compared to seeing a story unfold on the screen, where in general everything seems all laid out!

Post by jo on Oct 16, 2013 8:40:12 GMT -5

When they release the movie on home video ( BluRay or DVD), will they allow the second filmed scene as part of the special features? Or will including that lose part of the mystique of the almost-ambiguous but splendid ending?

Post by foxie on Oct 23, 2013 21:24:52 GMT -5

well I finally saw Prisioners. Superb-I have to thank everyone for putting comments under spoilers because I only knew what was in the trailer and talk shows-I have a question. Did Alex say after being tortured thru the keyhole -my aunt- we couldn't understand what was said. Thanx

Post by birchie on Oct 24, 2013 17:01:57 GMT -5

well I finally saw Prisioners. Superb-I have to thank everyone for putting comments under spoilers because I only knew what was in the trailer and talk shows-I have a question. Did Alex say after being tortured thru the keyhole -my aunt- we couldn't understand what was said. Thanx

Glad you enjoyed the movie!In the script the last thing Alex says to Keller in the box is:"There's no way out. It's a prison."I honestly don't remember if I heard that or not in that last scene with him in the movie, I'll have to watch it again.Sue

Post by jo on Oct 24, 2013 18:17:31 GMT -5

I don't think the original script was followed. In the movie, Alex was talking about "a maze", but it was somewhat blurry to hear. Not sure if it was just his slurred musing, under the circumstances...although he may also be referring to the maze puzzles that were fed to all the abductees.

However, the reference to a maze might have been lost on Keller, as I do not remember that he knew about the maze references that Loki found in the house of Bob Taylor...and eventually in the pendant in the photo ( which he did not notice the first time at the basement of the priest's house where he found the corpse).

Post by carouselkathy on Oct 27, 2013 20:56:27 GMT -5

Loki had been abused by a priest as a child. He mentions that when he's questioning the priest when the body is found in the basement. In this way, Loki is also a prisoner to his past abuse, and driven to find the missing girls.

Post by jo on Oct 27, 2013 23:29:57 GMT -5

To start off his investigations ( after eliminating Alex as a suspect), Loki visited registered sex offenders. One of them was the priest who kept a secret in his cellar. The husband of Holly Jones came to him to confess their abduction and murder crimes, but when he said that they found it difficult to stop, the priest decided to keep him in the cellar until he died. Presumably, this was his way of stopping the abduction/murder crimes of the couple( through the husband). Of course when Loki finally recognized the image of the maze pendant on the photo in his last visit of the Holly Jones house ( while she was trying to kill Anna Dover) as the same pendant he saw on the corpse, that evidence not only confirmed the priest's allegations but also told Loki that he was exactly on the right track.

Btw, the priest was portrayed by famous Broadway actor Len Cariou ( who originated the original Sweeney Todd on Broadway, with Angela Lansbury. Although I understand that his current involvement has been with TV work.

Post by birchie on Oct 28, 2013 15:32:42 GMT -5

I was going to say that too. I know this is slightly off topic but I love Blue Bloods & Len is great as the tough old school cop/grandfather/patriarch. It's a rare show that focuses on people doing the right thing and it's not afraid to show people who really care about each other and know how to resolve conflicts. So many shows focus on the lowest common denominator in human behavior that BB is almost like a throwback to earlier days of TV.Sue

Post by foxie on Oct 28, 2013 17:35:34 GMT -5

my favorite tv show I just love Donnie wahlberg and Tom select and all of them except Donnie's new partner they keep try ing but they aren't going to get anyone as good as jennifer Esposito!!best show!!

Post by jo on May 4, 2014 21:46:43 GMT -5

The Oscars are very political -- and many wins are sometimes favored by the politics and the campaigning that goes with the award. Sometimes or oftentimes, it is not enough to deliver the role of a lifetime! Also, it seems a trend now that if one loses a lot of weight and tackles a current social issue or even be a transgender that the voters think it is already an acting accomplishment. Biopics are also heavily favored! LOL- sounds like Broadway this year!

Hugh's performance in PRISONERS - to me it wasn't the creepy factor at all. I am sure there are some personalities in real life who hold similar beliefs like him and actually live like Keller Dover -- but the overwhelming theme is the love of a parent for one's child and the sometimes unthinkable things one does to get back his loved one.

I think Hugh had experienced the not so great side of the Oscars -- I have a feeling that his artistic goal is not to win at all costs ( by looking only at roles that bait the Oscars ). He is fulfilled when the new challenge that he has taken on gives him a true sense of accomplishment as an actor!